


Service Dogs for Superheroes (SDfSH): Bruce/Hulk and Smash

by literally_no_idea



Series: Service Dogs for Superheroes (SDfSH) Main Series [4]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Child Abuse, Childhood Trauma, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Past Child Abuse, SDfSH 'verse, Service Animals, Service Dogs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 22:19:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17816567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literally_no_idea/pseuds/literally_no_idea
Summary: Natasha knew that she’d started herself down a long and confusing road. She’d known from the moment that Lucky had put his head in Clint’s lap that if she trained Lucky to be Clint’s service dog, that she would have to help everyone else get their own service dogs, too. She had known that almost, if not all, of them could benefit from a service animal of some kind, and it would just make sense to try and give everyone that help if she gave it to one person. She knew all of that.--Tony wasn't originally on Natasha's list, but she'd moved him to the top when she'd realized. Now, she starts with the first person (or people) on her list.





	Service Dogs for Superheroes (SDfSH): Bruce/Hulk and Smash

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome back to the series! Or, if this is your first time reading one of these, welcome! Glad you're here :)

Natasha knew that she’d started herself down a long and confusing road. She’d known from the moment that Lucky had put his head in Clint’s lap that if she trained Lucky to be Clint’s service dog, that she would have to help everyone else get their own service dogs, too. She had known that almost, if not all, of them could benefit from a service animal of some kind, and it would just make sense to try and give everyone that help if she gave it to one person. She knew all of that.

 

So after she got Clint and Lucky working together, she had started compiling a list of what everyone needed, what kind of dog would work for them, what she thought would fit each person best. Choosing Tony as the second service dog handler hadn’t been her original plan; to be completely honest, she had doubted that he even needed on to begin with. Realizing what he was actually facing had certainly been a shock to her, and thinking it through afterwards, she felt ridiculous for having missed it in the first place. But now, with Tony having Diva, Natasha decided to start with the first person on her list.

 

Rather than training the puppy in secret and surprising him, Natasha figured it was more reasonable to just talk to him about it first, and that’s how she found herself in one of the numerous labs in Avengers tower, watching Bruce work.

 

They’ve got an easy conversation going, and Natasha is steadily guiding the flow of the discussions towards service dogs, using Lucky and Diva to help her get there.

 

“Have you thought about getting a service dog yourself?” She asks, and Bruce pauses, looking up at her curiously.

 

“Well, yes. But I haven’t entertained that thought in a while. Planning on making the idea of training service dogs a real thing for yourself?” He says, stepping out from behind the table he was at to face Natasha better.

 

Natasha smiles. “Maybe. It’s certainly not the worst possible life to lead. Would a service dog be something you would want?” She asks, and Bruce nods, but then shrugs.

 

“Well, yes and no. I’d love a service dog, but I don't know how the Other Guy would do with one,” he says, body language drooping ever so slightly.

 

Natasha hums thoughtfully. “I get the feeling Hulk would do just fine with a dog. Next time he’s around, do you mind if I introduce him to Lucky, get a feel for how he feels about dogs?”

 

“Sure, as long as Clint is okay with it, obviously it’s a risk, so I’d want him to be sure that’s okay with him first,” Bruce says, pulling at a loose thread on the sleeve of his shirt.

 

“Not a problem,” Natasha says, and with that, she’s gone, leaving Bruce standing, confused and uncertain, in the lab.  
  


* * *

 

 

Two weeks later, a “code green” is called during a battle, and when the battle dies down, they need to go get Hulk out of the streets of New York. Natasha gives Clint a look, and Clint nods, so Natasha makes a quick stop at the tower before heading out to find Hulk.

 

Lucky trots alongside her happily, heeling perfectly even though she hadn’t bothered clipping on his leash. They find Hulk down an alleyway, curled up in the tightest ball he can manage and breathing heavily.

 

“Hulk?” Natasha says, and Hulk lifts his head, eyes lighting up at her voice, and then he notices Lucky beside her, and makes a small noise.

 

“Puppy?” Hulk asks, and Natasha nods.

 

“Yeah, this is Clint’s dog, Lucky. Do you want to pet him?”

 

Hulk starts to nod, then hesitates. “Won’t hurt puppy?” he asks, and Natasha tries to hide her surprise, shaking her head.

 

“No, I don't think so. As long as you’re gentle, it should be fine,” she says, and Hulk nods, putting his hand down on the ground for Lucky to sniff. Lucky walks up when Natasha points toward Hulk, and he sniffs around Hulk’s hand, licking the tip of one of his fingers and wagging his tail, body language relaxed when Hulk starts to giggle.

 

“Cute,” Hulk says, and Natasha nods.

 

“He is, isn’t he? Would you want a dog of your own, Hulk?” she asks.

 

Hulk positively lights up, smiling from ear to ear. “Yes! If Banner want,” he adds.

 

“Bruce definitely wants a dog too, big guy. Any ideas what you would want to name the dog?”

 

“Smash,” Hulk says without hesitation, and Natasha smiles.

 

“Smash it is.”

 

* * *

 

Natasha confirms this choice with Bruce; Bruce is completely fine with it, though he is surprised by Natasha’s explanation of Hulk’s interaction with Lucky. “He was really that gentle?” Bruce asks.

 

“I don't think you give him enough credit,” Natasha tells him. “He’s part of you, Bruce. He’s like a big kid, but he has a lot of trauma, and he just wants to protect you. That’s why he’s there, right?”

 

Bruce nods, but he still looks uncertain. “Yeah, right. I know that’s true, scientifically. Emotionally, it’s just a little harder to process.” Natasha puts a hand on his shoulder, smiling.

 

“You’ll get there,” she says, and then she’s gone again, and Bruce can’t shake the feeling that she leaves every conversation that way on purpose.

 

It takes Natasha three months to find the right dog for Bruce. She decides to get him a dog from the humane society, figuring that it will make him feel less guilty about having the dog in the first place if he can feel like he rescued the dog. She’s got notices in at just about every humane society across the country, and a few in other countries, looking for a dog that will be perfect for him. When she finds the dog, the dog is at a humane society in Oregon. She flies out to meet the dog herself, and she’s not disappointed.

 

The dog is a pure white female named Lucy, suspected to be a Dogo Argentino, and she’s one of the sweetest dogs Natasha thinks she’s ever seen. When one of the humane society staff first brings her into a room to meet Natasha, Lucy immediately throws herself into Natasha’s lap, wagging her tail so hard that Natasha thinks her arm might bruise.

 

She has Lucy evaluated by a few veterinarians, and gets special permission from the humane society to take her around the city for a few days, and she tests Lucy on anything and everything she can think of; she drops things, yells, jumps at her, and fake cries to test Lucy’s reactions; she takes her to a dog park, to a pet store, and to a busy part of town, and gauges how she reacts to everything from dogs lunging at her to people with walking sticks to small children to squirrels and rabbits.

 

After three days, Natasha is comfortable with Lucy’s reactions, and she goes back to the humane society, signing the adoption paperwork and taking Lucy, now officially renamed Smash, home.

 

* * *

 

Before she starts any training, Natasha lets Smash have a few weeks just to get used to the tower, the team, and everything else in her new home. While she was confident that she wanted a shelter dog for Bruce, she also wants to make sure that the dog will be a good fit before she goes any further.

 

She didn’t need to worry; Smash fits right in, quickly making friends with Lucky and Diva, and almost immediately becoming a team favorite. She even seems to figure out that she’s meant to be Bruce’s dog, practically gluing herself to Bruce’s side and following him everywhere he goes. When the team is gathered in the living room, she curls herself up on Bruce’s lap, and when Bruce heads down to one of the labs, she follows him, watching him as he works.

 

When Natasha starts training Smash, she decides to train Smash and Bruce together from the beginning, making sure that Bruce and Smash work well together and understand each other. They do great, and training doesn’t take long; the hardest part is just training out some of Smash’s old behaviors, which Natasha had expected and prepared for. Smash is already fully grown, and she’s been cleared for mobility, so Natasha teaches Smash to brace, showing Bruce exactly what to look for and expect.

 

Smash learns some of her commands faster than others; she learns most of her tasks quickly, but takes a little longer to learn her obedience commands. She mostly struggles with down-stays, wanting more than anything to just run around, but given enough exercise, she calms down enough to hold her down-stays perfectly. She loves doing her tasks, and maybe she gets a little overzealous sometimes, tasking when she doesn’t need to, but Bruce doesn’t seem to mind.

 

Tony and Clint get into an argument in the kitchen while Bruce is in the adjoining living room, and as Tony and Clint raise their voices, Smash jumps onto the couch beside Bruce, draping her body across his lap and letting the weight of her body help decrease Bruce’s blood pressure. He scratches her behind the ears absentmindedly, trying to ignore the yelling in the next room over. Natasha watches the interaction from behind her book, smiling at how naturally they work together.

 

* * *

 

The first time the team heads out on a mission after getting Smash, it’s a mission in a different country, and they bring Smash with them. She sits on the plane in front of Bruce, resting her head on his lap and watching him carefully for any sign of distress. When he doesn’t seem to have any, and Bruce tells her it’s okay, she starts to wander around the plane, sniffing at the other Avengers in their battle gear, particularly interested in Clint’s bow and arrows and Steve’s shield.

 

Clint starts to look more and more nervous about Smash sniffing at his quiver of arrows, so Natasha digs around in the back of the plane before producing a large rope toy, holding it out to an entranced Smash. Steve gives Natasha a look, and she shrugs. “I figured one of the dogs might end up on the ship at some point. Even service dogs need to play,” she says, and Steve shakes his head but doesn’t say anything, so she plops herself down on the floor to play tug of war with Smash.

 

When they land, Bruce and Smash stay behind, waiting until either the rest of the team returns or a code green is called. After about half an hour, a code green is called, and Bruce turns to Smash, gently smushing her face in his hands. “You be good, okay? I’ll be back,” he tells her, and then he’s gone, leaving Smash on the ship. Smash lays down, huffing, and rests her head on her paws until her handler comes back.

 

With Hulk’s help, the Avengers get everything under control, and when the battle’s over, Natasha goes back to the ship, gets Smash, and heads out to find Hulk. They find him out in the forest, jumping from tree to tree, and when Natasha calls his name, he turns, running back over to them when he sees Smash. “My puppy?” he asks, and Natasha nods.

 

“Hulk, this is Smash. Smash, this is Hulk, your other handler.” Hulk sits down on the ground, holding out his hand palm up towards Smash. Smash immediately rushes forward, sniffing his fingers and then hopping up onto his palm, licking his hand. Hulk laughs, slowly raising his hand to bring Smash up to his eye level.

 

Smash’s entire body is wagging with excitement, tail beating against Hulk’s thumb as she steps forward and licks Hulk’s nose. “Good dog,” Hulk says, and Smash barks, jumping up onto Hulk’s shoulders and running across his shoulders to the other side of his head, barking happily the whole time.

 

Natasha smiles as she watches them interact. “Okay guys, ready to go back to the ship?” she asks, and Hulk puts his hand up by his shoulder, letting Smash hop back into his hand so he can lower her to the ground. Once Smash is back by Natasha, Hulk takes a deep breath, crumpling to the ground as he shrinks down, letting Bruce front again.

 

As soon as he’s back to Bruce size, Smash runs forward, standing over Bruce and licking his face until he blinks his way back to consciousness, looking up at Smash with a bewildered expression before smiling. “Hey, kiddo,” he says softly, and Smash steps off the side of him, barking and nudging his side as he stumbles back to his feet. “Are we headed home?” he asks Natasha, and she nods.

 

“Mission’s over, everything’s fine, Smash and Hulk had a really cute moment together. I’ll have to record a video of them together next time so you can see it,” she says, and Bruce nods.

 

“Yeah, that’d be cool. Let’s go home, I think I need a couple plates of food and a long nap.”

 

* * *

 

Natasha does, in fact, record a video the next time Smash and Hulk are together. When Bruce plays it back later, he watches as the two run in circles together, Smash chasing Hulk and jumping on his leg to tag him, then turning and running as Hulk chases her, reaching down with one hand to gently boop her nose with his index finger. The video is about 3 minutes long, and Bruce watches it on repeat, smiling as he sees just how happy they are together. Watching the video, he can’t remember why he ever worried about how Hulk would do around a dog.

**Author's Note:**

> I'd like to note something here really quick.
> 
> Bruce and Hulk are portrayed as, in essence, two separate people, because they are mentally two very different identities. They are two alters of a DID system. I seriously can't emphasize that enough, because I will always portray them as two individuals in their own right.
> 
> Just as I wouldn't call Tony and Rhodey the same person, I'm not going to do the same as Bruce and Hulk, but this is not to say the Hulk is an outside force or something. They're a DID system. Hulk is an alter that embodies Bruce's childhood. He carries the traumatic memories of Bruce's abuse as a child, and he acts like a child because he is, mentally, at the age of a child. Even without the gamma radiation, his role was to protect Bruce from the trauma of his childhood. Obviously, with the gamma radiation, he is able to do this in more ways than one.
> 
> Alright that's the end of my rambling for now. Let me know what you thought!! I don't know if my links will work this time, but the idea for Smash comes from AO3 user thingswithwings and their story "Five Ways to Get In Touch with Your Inner Mild-Mannered Scientist"
> 
> Link to AO3 user thingswithwings hopefully [ here ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thingswithwings/pseuds/thingswithwings)
> 
> Link to their story "Five Ways to Get In Touch with Your Inner Mild-Mannered Scientist" hopefully [ here ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/429749?view_adult=true)
> 
> You can also find me rambling about this series, as well as drabbles related to this series, on tumblr at servicedogsforsuperheroes. 
> 
> Link to my tumblr blog hopefully [ here ](https://servicedogsforsuperheroes.tumblr.com)
> 
> Next up is a bit of an in between chapter, featuring JARVIS with the dogs!


End file.
